Lecture

“Exoticism and Sensationalism of Folk Corporeality”

Ilina Jakimovska

in collaboration with CRNC - Centre for the Research of Nationalism and Culture

This lecture will deal with the ways in which ethnology and cultural anthropology question the body, as well as with the ethical and other dilemmas arising from it. While focusing on what is unusual and disgraceful in some “exotic” cultures (including the Balkan’s), many neglect an important question: do body practices within these cultures represent a gross violation of human rights and should they be suppressed, or rather, tolerated and respected as part of an authentic tradition – in the name of the cultural diversity?

Professor Ilina Jakimovska, Ph.D. teaches full time at the Ethnology and Anthropology Institute on the Faculty of Natural sciences and mathematics – Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. Her doctorate thesis is titled “Body in folk culture: standardization, upbringing, control and punishment”. Amongst other things, she has done research about women’s social engagement from the rural 19^th century until today’s political protests, the atypical sexual behaviour in Macedonian folk art heritage, as well as the use of folklore in the contemporary rhetoric of politics and the popular discourse in Macedonia. She is the editor of the portal Off.net’s cultural section BookBox and has worked as an ethnological consultant in Milco Manchevski’s films. Furthermore, she is an author of two poetry books and a collection of short stories titled: Sun in a jar and The Most Important Game.